Another farmer commits suicide in Angul, Odisha

Yet again a farmer has committed suicide in Angul district of Odisha. Not a day goes without reports of farmer suicide in the state due to crop failure and heavy debt burden.

Pic Courtesy: www.thehindu.com

Ranjan Sahu, a farmer from Rantalai village in Angul district did not have land of his own but was involved in 2 acres of sharecropping. He had taken a loan of Rs 2, 50,000 from various sources, including Bank and private money lenders for farming and family use.

He lost his calm after the crops were destroyed due to poor rainfall in the state and killed himself yesterday by hanging from a rope.

“He committed suicide by hanging himself after he could not pay back the loan. We had taken loan from bank and private money lenders. After we lost our crops he could not tolerate it and hanged himself from a rope”, said the deceased wife.

The rising number of reported farmer deaths has reached more than 80 in the state, and the toll is rising unabated.

Meanwhile, BJP has today called for a dawn-to-dusk bandh in Jharsuguda, protesting against farmer suicides in the region and demanding the district to be declared drought affected.

Notably, a total of 139 out of the 314 blocks in in 21 districts of Odisha have been declared drought-affected.